Pneumatic pump



H. 8. ROGERS PNEUMATIC PUMP Filed March 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIrIIl/Illr 5/115 i ll Patented Dec. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES GONSIN PATENT o1=1='1cr."

HOMER ,s. ROGERS, or'mILwAUKnE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 MILWAUKEE POWER PUMP COMPANY, OF'MILWAUKEE, wIsCoNsIN, A CORPORATION or wIs-i PNEUMATIC frumr I Application filed March 29, 1929. Serial No. 356383.

This invention relates to a single cylinder pneumatic pump of the type which has a casing'or cylinder submerged in the water of a drilled or dug well and equiped with 6 the usual check valve controlled water inlet and outlet to provide for the flow of water into the casing and its discharge into the service or "distributing systems with which the pumpis associated; Valve controlled air inlet and exhaust connections are also provided on the casing of such pumps and are controlled by two floats, one responsive to high level conditions in the casing to open the airinlet valve and close'the air exhaust valve whereupon theair pressure is placed on the water in the casing and (tends to;

force the same out'throughther water outlet, the other float being responsive to low level conditions in the casing to open the air exhaust valve and close the air inlet valve to permit the casing to fill with water. All prior construction of this'type have a number of serious disadvantages, principal among which (is the balancing, under certain conditions, of the air inlet and exhaust valves in slight open position which allows a continual waste or escape of the air pressure, the air continuously flowing into the pump casing above the water and directly outto-the exterior without performing any useful work. This balancing of the valves frequently results from the presence of a leaky faucet or other leaky fixture in the water by the pump. p I

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a pump of this character in which the air inlet and exhaust valves are alwaysopene'd-and closed with a snap action and under the influence of a substantial'operating force thereby precluding any balancing of the valves in slightly open position and avoiding waste ofthe air pressure and unsatisfactory operation of the pump, and this irrespective of adverse conditions, such as a leaky faucet or other fixture, in the service system.

Another object of the present invention is to] provide a pump of this character and having these advantages and which is simple,

service or distributing system supplied with durable and compact in construction, re

liable and efiective in operation, andeasy and comparatively inexpensive to manufac 'ture.

Other objects and advantages reside certain novel features of the construction,

arrangement and combination ofparts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference; being had to'the accom' panyin' specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in central verticalsection and partly in side elevationjit lustrating a single cylinder pump embodying the present invention and designed and adapted forluse in a drilled' well Figure 2 'is'a fragmentary view similar to Figure 1 but on an enlarged, scale to better illustrate the valve structure and the operating mechanism thereof;

Figure 3 is a view in section on line 3 3 of Figure 1; and M Figure 4' is a view partly in transverse vertical section and partly inside elevation illustrating another type of single cylinder pump embodying the invention and adapted for use in dug wells. 7

Referring to the drawings and more par-' ticularly to Figures 1 to thenumerall des-- ignate'sr the elongated casing or cylinder of the. pump which has its ends closed by an upper head 2 and a lower head the heads being fastened in fluid tight relation to the cylinder in any appropriate manner.

:The lowerrhead 3 is provided with a screened water inlet 4 controlled by a check valve 5 having a cage or stop 6 mounted upon the hub of a spider 7' and coacting therewith to limit the'motion of the valve 5. As usual, thevalve5 is closed by the pressure in the cylinder and is opened by the headof the wa{ ter in which the pump is submerged when the pressure is exhausted from the cylinder.

A compressed air supply line 8 is connected to a nipple 9 provided therefor on the head 2 and communicates with the interior of the cylinder through a valve controlledpassage 10 in the head. A screen 11" may be provided between the air supply pipe 8 and the g drawings forming'apart oflthis passage adjacent the air inlet. The head 2 is provided with a nipple 12 which is adapted to connect with a stand pipe (not shown) extending above the level of the water in which the pump is submerged. The nipple 12 communicates with a valve controlled passage formed in a valve seat 14 threaded into an opening in the head 2 alined with the nipple 12.

An air inlet valve 15, which may be in the form of a needle valve, coacts with a valve seat provided in the passage 10 to control the inlet of compressed air into the cylinder. The exhaust of the compressed air from the cylinder is controlled by an air exhaust valve 16 preferably of the disc form shown.

The valves 15 and 16 are both pivotally mounted on a common valve operating lever 17 fulcrumed as at 18 on lugs formed integral with and extending downwardly from the head 2. The short arm of the lever 17 on which the valve 15 is mounted is bifurcated or forked and formed with transversely alined openings receiving and rotatably supporting the ends of a pivot pin 19 on which a bushing 19 is fitted, the bushing abutting the fork at its ends. Centrally the pin 19 and bushing 19" are provided with a transverse opening and at least the opening of the pin is threaded. The valve 15 has a portion of its shank threaded and engaged with the threaded opening of the pin 19. To secure the valve 15 in any adjustment, a nut 20 coacts with the shank of the valve 15 and with the bushing 19. The valve 16 has a conventional iioiradjustable pivotal mounting 21 on the long arm of the lever and is provided with an upwardly extending guide stem 22 Sliding through a guide 23 carried by the outlet or exhaust nipple 12. A float 24 is hung on the long arm of the lever 17 for a purpose which will hereinafter be fully described.

The head 2 also has a water discharge nipple 25 cast integral therewith. Of course, the nipples 9, 12 and 25 are spaced from each other on the head 2. The nipple 25 is provided with a coupling 26 which connects the service or distribution system which the pump supplies with water. In the nipple 25, a check 25 is provided and operates in the usual way to prevent back flow of the water from the service pipes to the cylinder of the pump. The nipple 25 connects with a water discharge pipe 28 which extends downwardly in the cylinder to a point adj acent the bottom thereof. There is a liquid tight connection between the upper end of the pipe 28 and the passage in the head 2 alincd with the nipple 25.

The purpose of the float 24 is to move the lever 17 so as to close the air exhaust valve 16 and open the air inlet valve 15. lVhen the water level drops below the float 24,theweight of the float 24 tends to open the exhaust valve 16 and close the inlet valve 15 but it is ineffective for this purpose because the weight of the float is not sufficient to overcome the force with which the air pressure holds the valve 16 closed and the valve 15 open. In order to open the valve 16 and close the valve 15, an elongated and heavy float 30 is provided. At its upper end the float 30 has a guide stem 31 sliding through an opening formed in a guide 32, clamped as at 33 to the water discharge pipe 28. The lower end of the float has a screw 34 threaded into a socket 35 which is rigidly secured to the lower end of the float. The lower end of the screw is threadedly engaged with the transverse opening provided in a pivot pin 36, the ends of the pin 36 being rotatably fitted in openings provided in the. forked end of a lever 37. Nuts 38 hold the screw 34 in adjusted position. The lever 37 is fulcrumed as at 39 on a bracket 40 clamped as at 41 to the lower end of the water discharge pipe 28.

A one-way connection is provided between the float control lever 37 and the valve operating lever 17 so as to permit the float 30 to act through the lever 37 to move the valve operating lever 17 in such manner as to open the air exhaust valve 16 and close the air inlet valve 15 and yet leave the reverse move ment of the valve operating lever 17, which will close the air exhaust valve 16 and open the air inlet valve 15, solely to the control of the float 24 and the air pressure. This one way connection may comprise arod 45 freely and slidably fitted in an opening 17 formed in the valve operating lever 17. The upper end of the rod has a head 46 which engages the lever 17 when the rod is pulled downwardly. The lower end of the rod 45 is threaded as at 45 and engaged with internal threads formed in a transverse opening 47 provided in a pivot pin 47, the pivot pin 47 having its ends rotatably fitted in openings formed in the forked arm 37 of the lever 37. Nuts 48 are threaded on the rod and engage each other and the pin 47 to hold the rod in any adjustment.

The present invention proposes to retain the float 30 elevated until after the water level has dropped sufliciently to store up a considerable amount of potential energy in the float 30. F or this purpose a vent pipe 50 is provided within the cylinder and has its upper end extending through an opening formed in the head 2,and communicating with an axial passage 51 of a vent fitting 52, the axial passage 51 communicating with outlet passages 53 which lead to the exterior. The lower end of the vent pipe 50 is threadedly connected as at 54 with a valve casing 55, which may be cast integral with the bracket 40, and communicates with a passage 56 formed in the valve casing and leading over to a passage 57 communicating with the interior of the cylinder. The passage 57 may be ofiset slightly from the passage 56 although in open communication therewith and has a valve seat 58 therein with which a valve 519 coacts. The valve 59 has a positi-vely pivotal connection as at 60 with the from the portion of the casing in which passage 56 is formed to permit the rodw45 to clear such portion of the valve casing 55.

Assuming the cylinder 1 is empty, then the airinlet valve will beclosed and the air exhaust valve 16 opened. Under these conditions the head of the'water in which the cylinder is submerged will operate toopen the valve 5 and the water will rise rapidly in the cylinder, firstbuoyi ng the float and then buoying up thefloat 24. As the float 30 rises with the water level it pulls the lever 37 upwardly about its fulcrum 39" and brings the valve 59 against its seat 58 thereby closing off thevente This also raises the rod but the rod 45 merely slides throughfthe opening 1,7,and the lever 17 and does not affect the position of the lever. 'However, when the water raises the float 24 the lever 17 is swung about its fulcrum 18 in a counter-clockwise direction, .as viewed in-Figure 1, and moves the valve 16 toward its valve seat 14 and pulls the valve 15 downwardly away from its seat. The float 24 easily accomplishes this valve action'as it is moving the air inlet valve 15 with the pressure and as the pressure on the exhaust valve 16 is balanced. in its control movement whereas when it approaches its seat 14 it is picked up by the outrushing air and closes with a snap action. The valve 15 now being open the air pressure acts on the water in the cylinder 10 and whenever water is needed in the service system the air will push it up through the pipe 28 and past the check valve 27 to the pipes of the service system. As the water level in the cylinder drops it first falls below the float 24 but this does not alter the position of the valves as the pressure in the cylinder keeps the valve 16 closed and the valve 17 open notwithstanding the tendency ofthe float 24 to swing the lever 17 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1 and thereby open the valve 16 and close the valve 15. The water continues to fall and gradually uncovers more and more of the float 30. The more of the float 30 that is uncovered the greater the force which the float 30 exerts on the lever 37 tending to swing the same in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1. However, the float 30 is almost completely unsubmerged before the weight of the unsustained portion thereof is sufficient to push the lever 3-7 downwardly across the action of the valve 59 which, due to the pressure exerted thereon by the water is held against the seat and due to its connection with the lever .37, holds the lever 37 in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. Eventually, however, the unsusta-ined weight. of the "float 30 becomes sufficient to pull the valve .59 away from its seat and when this happens, the-float 30. freely falls and it drops with considerable force and quite quickly. As the float falls and carries the lever 37. downwardlywith it, it pulls the rod 45 down wit-hit. Becauseof the slight clearance be-; tween the head 46 of the rod 45 and the lever 17 (see Figures 1 and 2"), -the,initial,movement of the float, 30 and lever 37 is not com.- municated to the lever 17 This gives these parts opportunity to acquire kineticenergy before they exert ap-ull on the lever 17 and aids in the impartingof an impact-like opening-movement to the lever 17 When the head 46 doesengage thelever'17, the rod 45 is being moved down forcibly under the influence of the iialling float 30 and thelever and the valve operating lever 17 is pulled dewnwardly'in a forcible manner so as to open the valve 16 and close the valve 15 with a snap action. This permits theiair in the cylinder 1 to exhaust to the exterior and con sequently permits the cylinder to refill in the manncrdesc-ribed; The pump shown in Figures 1 to =3-and previously described is especially designed for use in wells of small bore, such as drilled. Wells. In Figure 4, a form of the invention is 'illustrated which is designed for use in wells of larger dimension, that is,.in Wells. The pump shown in Figure 4 is, in vall major respects, the same as that shownin.

Figures 1 to 3 and hereinabove" described and ditiers only in details ,of construction. As shown, 'it has'a pump cylinder or casing 1 which is wider and of less height than the cylinder 1- of the other form of the invention but serves substantially the same pur-; pose. The top of the pump casing has an air inlet and exhaust passage,.tl1e water outlet connection and the vent, all substantially the same as the similar parts of the other embodiments of the invention and controlled by a similar valve arrangement so that the description above applies thereto. The only di'fi'erence resides in the positioning of the. parts which is clearly illustrated inthe drawing. -Also the bottom of the casing .has the check valve controlled inlet 4 differing only from the embodiment previously. :de-. scribed in that it is inset in the recess formed ure 4 over that shown and described herein above, is the type of valve employed for regulating the opening and closing of the vent 52. The valve employed is designated at 7 9 and although'it moves downwardly to engage its seat 80 it is seated by the pressure and is opened by the float 7 5 by reason of the engagement of-the forked end 76 of the lever 76 of the float with 'an annular groove in the body of the valve 79. The valve 79 also has a guide stem 81 operating through a guide-82 carried by the bracket 78. The operation of the pump shown in Figure 4 is identical with that shown in Figures 1 to 3 and hereinabove described.

The invention claimed is:

1. A pneumatic pump comprising a cy1inder having a valve controlled water inlet, a water outlet, valve controlled air inlet and exhaust passages, a single lever carrying the air inlet and exhaust valves and operable when moved in one direction to close one valve and open the other and to reversely move the valves when moved in an opposite direction, a float connected to the lever and operable to close the air exhaust valve and open the air inlet valve upon high water level conditions in the casing, a second float, a one-way connection between the second float and the valve operating lever whereby the downward movement of the float upon low level conditions in the casing will open the air exhaust valve and close the air inlet valve while raising of the second float will not affect the position of said air inlet and exhaust valves, a vent in the casing, and a valve for the vent urged to vent closing position by the pressure in the casing and connected to the float and tending to hold the same elevated until a substantial portion of the weight of the float is unsustained except by the vent valve whereupon the float opens the vent valve and freely falls and operates the air inlet and exhaust valves with a snap action.

2. A pneumatic pump comprising a casing, water inlet and outlet means therefor, air inlet and exhaust valves regulating the supply and exhaust of compressed air to the casing, a lever for reversely operating said valves, a high level float connected to the lever and effective to move the same to close the air exhaust valve and open the air inlet valve upon the occurrence of a high water level in the pump casing, a low level float, a one-way lost motion connection between the low level float andthe lever operable only to shift the lever to open the exhaust valve and close the air inlet valve, a vent in the casing, a valve controlling said vent and closed by the pressure in the casing, and a connection between the vent valve and the float whereby the vent valve retains the float against falling until the unsustained weight of the float is suflicient to open the valve against the pressure whereupon the float freely falls until the lost motion in the one-way connection is taken up at which time the full force of the falling float is imparted with an impact to the valve operating lever to open the exhaust valve and close the air inlet valve.

3. A pneumatic pump comprising air inlet and exhaust valves, a valve operating lever for reversely moving the valves, a high level float connected to the lever and operable to move the same to close the exhaust valve and open the air inlet valve, a low level float, a lever connected to the lower end of the low level float, a vent in the casing, a pressure closed valve controlling said vent and connected to said low level float lever, and a rod connected to said float lever, said valve operating lever having an opening through which the rod freely slides, the upper end of the rod having a head spaced from the valve operating lever when the exhaust valve is closed and the air inlet valve is open and the low'level float is sustained elevated, said. head being engageable with the valve operating lever with an impact when the low level float falls.

In witness whereof, I hereto aflix my signature.

HOMER S. ROGERS. 

